Orchestrating change is not just management’s job. To make change work leaders and followers need an opportunity to voice their concerns through meaningful dialogue and purposeful exploration of what lies ahead.

Rather than throw out the old and replace it with the new, there needs to be more open discussion around the change itself and the rationale behind it. The best way to accomplish this is to pose a set of task-oriented questions that are strategically centered on the change itself.

For example, What’s working for us that we want to maintain? What’s not working that we need to fix? What are we doing now that could support the proposed change?

When you ask task-based questions, those who have answers will feel valued. New relationships will form as people with differing viewpoints confide in each other. Fear of criticism is set aside as people get caught up in supporting the need for change.

Reinventing memory

It is a truly marvelous thing to watch people walk into a planning session angry, upset, ready to fight and within a short period they’re busily focusing on how they can contribute to make the place run better.

Management and staff put forth their best efforts when both are ready for change at the same time. Assessing readiness helps prepare everyone for a good start. Who is ready right now and who needs more time? How long will it take to get the opposing forces ready? What can management do to help staff get ready sooner?

Task-based questions bring people together around a common purpose. Such questions are neither critical nor judgmental they simply open the door for meaningful dialogue. Once people get used to asking future focused questions, they will purposefully frame additional questions in this new, collaborative mode.

It is gratifying to watch attitudes toward change change when people realize that it isn’t just about them, it’s also about their colleagues. You’ll know change is taking hold when you hear people discussing those sensitive issues they’ve been afraid to bring up previously for fear of being wrong. It’s at this point that change takes on a life of its own and there’s a real reason to celebrate and enjoy what’s about to happen.